New Orleans Hornets center Robin Lopez has eclectic taste. The 24-year-old California native is an avid fan of comic books and movies, including films from the days when all motion pictures were in black and white. He’s also interested in art and writing. The fifth-year NBA veteran sat down recently with Hornets.com to answer a few questions about his background and off-the-court pursuits.

People who’ve had the most influence on his basketball career: “I’ve had a lot of great coaches, but first I’d have to credit my older brothers Alex and Chris, and even (twin brother) Brook. They’ve all been really helpful. My high school coach was great, Wil Hooker, and my coach I had when I was younger, Ade Keto."

People who’ve had the most influence on him off the court: “My whole family. My mom and my brothers.”

Best moment as an athlete: “In college, my best moment was our last-second win to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament against Marquette in my sophomore year. In the NBA, getting to the Western Conference finals (with Phoenix in 2010) and playing competitively in that. That was pretty special.”

How he chose his current uniform number of 15: “In college, I was 42, which was my older brother Alex’s number. But 42 is always taken with every NBA team it seems like, so I couldn’t get it in Phoenix. So I chose 15, which is my second-oldest brother Chris’ number.” (Editor’s Note: returning Hornets veteran Lance Thomas wears 42).

Something fans might be surprised to know about him: “I like to draw and write a lot.”

Favorite thing about New Orleans: “Right now it seems pretty obvious, and it’s probably pretty cliché, but I love the food here.”

Favorite athlete as a kid: “Ken Griffey Jr.”

What he’d be doing if he weren’t an NBA player: “Something in art design or film. Maybe trying to draw comic books, or trying my hand at writing a little bit more.”

Closest friends currently playing on other NBA teams: “My brother Brook (of the Brooklyn Nets), obviously. But I also played basketball since elementary school with Quincy Pondexter (of the Memphis Grizzlies, also a former Hornets forward).”

Favorite TV shows: “The Simpsons and the Twilight Zone. I think The Simpsons is the greatest television show ever. The first nine or 10 seasons were insanely funny, but also just really good TV. I’m a fan of The Twilight Zone because I love the sci-fi fantasy aspect of it, but also because it did a great job of telling allegorical tales about the 1950s, without being so direct about what they were trying to say.”

Favorite movie of all time: “A lot of senior movie critics kind of turn up their nose a little bit to it, but I’m a big Steven Spielberg fan. I suppose I like the child-like qualities of a lot of his movies. I really liked Close Encounters of the Third Kind, as well as E.T. Also the first Indiana Jones movies. Classically, my favorite movie is Casablanca.”

Favorite websites: “I use Wikipedia a lot. For comic book news, I go to comicsalliance.com.”

What he enjoys about his Facebook page: “Connecting with friends, seeing what people are up to and where they are.”